How to upgrade and unlock your iPhone 2G using redsn0w
The iPhone’s latest 3.0 firmware is here. And as promised, it brings tons of new features (most importantly cut, copy & paste) to the iPhone. This is a guide to upgrade and unlock your iPhone 2G to firmware 3.0 using redsn0w. redsn0w is developed by the iPhone dev team and succeeds the good old QuickPwn. This guide can also be used to jailbreak your iPod touch and iPhone 3G. No support for iPhone 3G S yet.
The current version of redsn0w has known issues with mac OS X on power PC based systems. Use it on an intel based mac until the dev team addresses them.
DOWNLOAD REQUIRED SOFTWARE
For easy access, download the following in a single folder.
a. iPhone firmware 3.0 - iPhone 2G | iPhone 3G – approx 230 MB
b. redsn0w (torrent) Windows | Mac – approx 10 MB
c. Bootloader version 3.9 – 128 KB
d. Bootloader version 4.6 – 128 KB
e. iTunes 8.2 – approx 70 MB
Remember to sync your iPhone with iTunes before you start with the following process. This will create a backup of you iPhone which you can used to get your settings and contacts back on your iPhone once it is upgraded. Alternatively, you can right click on your iPhone’s name in iTunes’ left nav and select “Backup”.
Also, remember that the following process will delete any apps you would have installed from Installer or Cydia. You will have to install them again.
Step 1. Restore your iPhone to firmware 3.0 using iTunes. On the summary tab, hold shift (OPTION key for Mac) and click on Restore. Browse and select the iPhone firmware 3.0 file downloaded above. iTunes will restore the phone using this firmware. This step will take approx 10 – 15 minutes.
Step 2. Unzip the downloaded file and launch redsn0w:
Step 3. Click on the browse button and select the firmware 3.0 file you downloaded above:
Step 4. Once redsn0w identifies the IPSW file, click on next:
Step 5. Select the 2 checkboxes to install Cydia and unlock your iPhone. Selecting only Cydia will just jailbreak your iPhone (won’t unlock it):
Step 6. Browse and select the bootloader 3.9 and 4.6 files you downloaded above:
Step 7. Connect your iPhone to your computer and then switch it off. Free up both your hands and buckle up to press a combination of buttons on it to put it in the DFU mode:
Step 8. Follow the onscreen instructions carefully to put your iPhone in DFU mode. In case you fail, you can try again:
Step 9. Once you successfully put it in DFU mode, redsn0w will do its job. Sit back and relax:
Step 10. Click finish when done:
After this step, your iPhone will restart. It will now be on firmware 3.0 and unlocked. Restore from the backup in iTunes and you will have all your settings and emails/sms/notes restored. You will also have Cydia to install super cool 3rd party apps.
Enjoy some of these awesome new features in firmware 3.0:
- Cut, copy & paste
- Spotlight search
- Push notification
- Landscape keyboard in Mail, Messages, Notes and Safari
- Peer-to-peer gaming support
- In-App purchasing
- Third-party Accessories
- Voice memos
- SMS editing and forwarding
- Select multiple photos for email, deletion
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[...] if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can install the free “SMS Helper” app from Cydia. This little super useful tool will plug [...]
hi, i have successfully upgrade my iphone 2g from 2.2.1 to 3.0 using the above guide.
however, after the upgrade, i was facing a hell lot of problems:
1. the battery life drains out much faster even on stand-by mode.
2. i noticed there is a symbol beside my service provider on the top left hand corner of my iphone. it always switches between ‘E’ and ‘O’. i have done some research, and ‘E’ means EDGE.. i dunno what ‘O’ means.
3. I have alot of trouble receiving incoming calls (which is my biggest issue). i was told that my phone is out of coverage. i tried it myself and it was true (on my iphone it was showing full bar)
was just wondering if anyone got any solution to this? or anyone facing the same issue? i feel like downgrading it to 2.2.1 but that version on iphone 2g is really slow. would appreciate any feedback.
@Bim,
I think #1 and #2 are both related to each other. You should contact your service provider if the EDGE is enabled for your SIM. Using EDGE (mail interval/push mail/notifications etc) can drain your battery significantly.
#2 – ‘O’ is actually GPRS, which is a slower mode to access internet than EDGE.
#3 – We or none of our readers complained of any affect on the Phone functionality till date. But we do recommend you test if the same problem repeats using another cell phone (a regular tested Nokia ones may be?)
Also repeating the upgrade to 3.0 some times help fix these “weird” issues.
i have completed above steps but it is not restarting after clicking finish it is just getting hanged on downloading jailbreak data
jEvy Gi,
did u get the resolution of that issue? my iphone 2g is also hanging on the same stage as urs after following all the defined steps above.
[...] So I got a good deal on a first generation 8GB iPhone from a friend. Yeah, it runs on the 2G network and not the newer 3G, but my Palm Centro also runs on 2G, so it least I wouldn’t be worse off. My friend couldn’t get the phone SIM unlocked, so that task was left to me. (I’ve gotten the SIM unlock codes for other phones from AT&T before, but for some reason there is a particular issue with obtaining them for the iPhone.) It wasn’t too hard to find instructions on the web to jailbreak (modify the operating system so that non-Apple store apps could be installed – why?) and unlock (to allow a SIM card other than the original to be used) the phone to OS 3.0 using RedSn0w. [...]
@Kuldeep,
The article only talks about iPhone 3.0 and 3.0.1. The latest of the iPhone firmware 3.1.2 can be jailbroken and unlocked using blackSn0w which is downloadable from http://blackra1n.com.
Kuldeep said “also there are two version of redsn0w 0.7.1 & 0.7
which is the best ?”
@Kuldeep
Don’t use redsn0w unless you want to stay with 3.0.1 (if you do, take the latest). If you want to use the latest of the 3.x firmware. Use blackra1n. Please post further queries on the Woikr’s website.
@Swaroop,
i’ve downloaded blackra1n but Where i can get the latest version of OS 3.1.2 and how to upgrade?
@Kuldeep
Find the firmware link from the following website – http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/
@Swaroop
Thanks for your reply… you are so kind
I’ve downloaded the 3.1.2 for iPHONE 2g
please help me with some more questions …
1. is it ok that i can upgrade my 2g-2.2 directly to 3.1.2 ?
2. blackra1n is just JAILBRAKE process… and unlocking with presence of Internet/wify on iPHONE
is there any way that my unlocking process will be offline?
3. is there any ssh.ipa which i can directly install through iTunes so that i can access the file system and put in the BootNeuter?
4. Last time when i’ve upgraded from 1.1.3 to 2.2.1 there was issues with backup/restore [i've not got any contacts, neither wify,youtube nor GPRS on iphone was running] so i’ve downgraded to 2.2 and all data came correctly from backup. Does upgrade to 3.1.2 will give me my data back from restore?
5. have you personally experienced upgrading to 3.1.2? how’s it? if there is ny difficulties can i rollback to previous versions?
m sorry lots of question but please your support will give confidence to start the process…[:)]
~Kuldeep
hello Swaroop
I’m in trouble. Please help me.
I’ve updated 2g to 3.0.1 and used redsn0w to unlock …
everything worked fine and perfect as i expected from this tutorial.
BUT WHEN I’ve installed MOBILE SUBSTRATE from CYDIA… CYDIA asked to me restart and after that iphone never came up with screen…
IT STUCK @ APPLE LOGO SCREEN. ITUNES is NOT RECOGNISING … i can see the iphone as drive in my computer…
redsn0w is not able to put it in DFU Mode ….
PLEASE HELP …..
WAITING FOR YOU REPLY.
@ Swaroop
HOPE ITS SOLVED
i’ve connected to update server and now i can restore to version.
I’m in middle of the choosing the version.
Please suggest shall i go with 3.1.2?
NOPE …
My phone is not allowing me to UNLOCK…
when i open redsn0w iphone 2g doesnt want to go in DFU mode…
PLEASE HELP
[...] upgrade process is the similar to our earlier articles, but I am putting that here [...]
@Kuldeep –
Yes you can use the latest 3.1.2 – Follow woikr’s guide to upgrade and unlock here
http://woikr.com/iphone/how-to-upgrade-and-unlock-your-iphone-using-blackra1n/
hi, i have successfully upgrade my iphone 2g from 2.2.1 to 3.0 using redsnow. However, after the upgrade, i was facing some problems with the battery drainage, and eventually the iphone was stuck and could not reboot no more. I sent it to iRESQ and they replaced the logic board. I am trying to unlock and update the iphone to 3.1.2; Itunes does not provide the summary tab. Instead, it displays the following msg “iphone you connected is not recognized and cannot be activated”. Any ideas on how to restore any firmware on the iphone since I cannot get to the summay tab? Your help is appreciated.
Hey Guys Help…
i had dropped my phone and then it showed that i cannot make calls and i need to restore my phone using iTunes. I was earlier using 3.0 firmware version itself.
Now using iTunes when i try to restore it says unable to restore the firmware and gives an unknown error 1011.
I ignored the error and tried to jailbreak it using this procedure. Everything during the jailbreak worked fine but in the end after the ‘Done’ my phone didn’t restart and was stuck on ‘downloading jailbreak data’ for around 20 minutes and then it back to the screen showing ‘itunes & USB cable’
What should i do??? Please help….
You can try this (I got this off a forum):
- hold home and sleep for 25 secs, the phone should reboot
- wait for 10 seconds on the yellow triangle, then power off
- Try restoring using a different USB port
And then please use this latest tutorial to jailberak/unlock the phone: http://woikr.com/iphone/how-to-upgrade-and-unlock-your-iphone-using-blackra1n/
Hey Setu,
Thanks for your inputs.. well i think the problem was because i had 3.1.2 on my phone. I tired using the blackrain and it got unlocked but looks like the whole thing is not unlocked.
My iphone has only the ipod, contacts working now. I can’t make phone calls (says iphone cannot make or receive calls, use itunes to restore), wifi is greyed out, all sounds ringtones and keypads are not working.
Could you please help??
It looks like the OS is unable to find the baseband which is used for all the communication modules.
Try the above steps. Basically, you should do a full restore which formats the phone and reinstalls the OS from scratch.
If it doesn’t work, I would recommend taking it to a repair shop.
Hey Setu,
I tried but i am afraid i am unable to get the yellow triangle.. Is there another way of getting the same? My phone keeps rebooting only.. That is all it does…
i tried this method also
1.turn off by holding down the POWER (top right button and slide the red slider across
2.hold the iphone (as if it were flat on a table) and keep your thumb on the HOME button and carefully slide it into your USB dock(thing you connect your iphone to your computer with).
3. keep holding it down even when it is inside the dock and the yellow triangle will appear.
All this did was bring me again to ‘itunes and USB cable’ mode..
I understand that i need to do a complete restore but is there any other way of getting it to a mode where it would do a complete restore..
I am not sure if its gonna work but there was a tool called Ziphone which had a button to put the phone in DFU mode. You can try that.
But note that once it goes to DFU mode, I believe you cannot come out of it unless you restore successfully.
I would still suggest to take it to a repair shop. If you are in Delhi, you can take it to a shop in Noida – http://woikr.com/news/get-your-iphone-repaired-in-noida/
@setu
the new os came out 3.1.3.
shall i update the iphone 2g with this?
which s/w is good for unlock and jailbreak?
Hi, first I want to thank the Dev-Team for their great job !! I live in Japan and use the Softbank carrier. My I-Phone is the 32GS with 3.1.2 and unlocked and jailbroken with Blackrain and Blacksnow (Windows). Problem is, for the 3rd time in a few months, my phone suddenly stops working. It suddenly freezes and if you restart it then the only thing you see is the white apple mark with the phone that for hours tries to restart itself (and it won’t). Until now I had no problem, I just restored it and then I just had to jailbreak and unlock it again….If I try to RESTORE it now I have only 2 choices from I-Tunes : (1) restore and UPDATE (which automatically updates to 3.1.3 doh) or (2) cancel (which of course means you keep your broken I-Phone) Can somebody give me a good advise on what to do please ?? I’m quite desperate…
Sounds like a hardware defect. I would recommend taking it to a repair shop.
@Swaroop
the new os came out 3.1.3.
shall i update the iphone 2g with this?
which s/w is good for unlock and jailbreak?